Silk decorations and 500 liters of perfume: how was the first Dior fashion show in the USSR
'15.01.2021'
Source: Woman.ru
62 years ago, the first fashion show in the history of the USSR took place in Moscow. How it was, tells Woman.ru.
In 1957, 21-year-old Yves Saint Laurent became the artistic director of the Christian Dior Fashion House. Striving to surprise, he conceived a real fashion revolution. The French fashion designer was fired up with the idea of staging the first fashion show in the USSR, especially since his debut women's collection for Dior was called "Trapezium" and played on the forms of a traditional Russian sundress.
Negotiations between the parties began in December 1958 and lasted about three months. Hundreds of letters contained the terms of the show.
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For example, Soviet officials dissuaded future guests from expensive hotels and asked them to stay no more than a couple of days. The French, in response, insisted on a personal chef for models and natural silk for decorations.
Then Yves Saint Laurent received instructions on behavior, which is still stored in the archives of the Dior Fashion House:
- Take your lipstick, cosmetics with you.
- Please do not take pictures. If you take a camera, do not take pictures of children, houses, bridges, military buildings.
- Do not be surprised if people turn to you on the street with questions: where are you from, were you in the USSR before, what do you do, what is your impression of Moscow. This is a manifestation of friendliness on the part of the Moscow population.
- In particular, do not be embarrassed if passers-by smile or are surprised at your sight because of the difference in behavior and dress.
- Taxi tip 10%. In other cases, it is not accepted to leave a tip. They almost always refuse to take them.
- Give badges to people you like and who will give you the best welcome. They will be distributed to you in advance.
- Regarding models: before the interview, please read the special instructions and the list of questions.
- Take with you some detective novels for yourself and for gifts to the embassy officials.
- Women should never wear trousers. Recently, in this regard, a negative attitude towards movie stars from the population has been noticed.
In the end, on June 10, 1959, an airplane with 12 fashion models led by Yves Saint Laurent landed in Moscow. On board were 120 suitcases with clothes, accessories, umbrellas, gloves, hats and shoes, which were insured for more than 10 million francs, as well as 500 liters of French perfume: 12,5 liters were spent on the models themselves, and the rest was donated to "officials", that is, Soviet officials.
The shows went on for a week - 2-3 shows daily (each of the models had to take the podium 140 times). The center of fashion and beauty was the Krylya Sovetov House of Culture, where the entrance was exclusively by invitation.
The viewers of the fashion show, of which there were more than 11 thousand people, were representatives of foreign trade, as well as workers of the light and textile industries.
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A separate private screening was also held at the French Embassy: there, in the forefront, representatives of the Soviet elite - high-ranking officials, their wives and relatives - admired attires with Russian names like "Tatiana" and "Nadezhda".
The popular Soviet magazine Ogonyok wrote this about the Dior show:
“Those sitting in the hall look at the fashion models very attentively: some mentally try on dresses and put fur coats on their shoulders, others try to catch and remember the style they like. The spectators say: “Why are the dresses made of thick wool so open? It's almost a sundress. For us northerners, this is not particularly practical. And in summer, even in the evening, it will be hot in such a dress. Dresses are short. It is unlikely to beautify the overweight and undersized. Handmade embroidery on tulle is, of course, very beautiful, but who can afford such an expensive dress? ""
Soviet citizens were no less surprised by the appearance of French models in elegant outfits with bright makeup on the streets of Moscow.
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The girls walked in GUM, on Red Square and even in the capital's market, happily posing with passers-by to a specially assigned photographer.
Although many of the photographs capture the genuine emotions of Soviet people at the sight of foreign fashionistas, some of the shots were carefully staged to convey the scale of the event for the USSR and the difference in culture between the two states.
Of course, our people have seen such beauty before. For example, by that time the films "Carnival Night", "Anna on the Neck", "Girl without an Address" had already appeared on the screens, where the actresses shone in gorgeous outfits. But it was a beautiful picture on TV, not everyday reality.
